Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are small, hard deposits that form inside your kidneys. Kidney stones are made of mineral, most commonly calcium, and acid salts. Kidney stones have many causes. Frequently, kidney stones form when the urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals to crystallize and stick together. A kidney stone may or may not cause signs and symptoms until it has moved into the ureter — the tube connecting the kidney and bladder. At that point, these signs and symptoms may occur: pain, blood in urine, nausea and vomiting, and even fever and chills if an infection is present. Seek immediate care if you are passing a kidney stone and you have intractable pain, cannot hold down any liquids due to vomiting, or have a fever greater than 101.5F.

Risk factors for kidney stones include poor water intake, digestive issues or surgeries, family history, obesity, and certain diets. Imaging tests, including CT scan, plain x-ray or ultrasound, may show kidney stones in your urinary tract.

Most small kidney stones can pass on their own with the help of increased water intake (2-3 liters per day) and pain medications. With larger stones, treatment may be necessary. Treatments include shock wave therapy or endoscopic treatments. A procedure called extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) uses sound waves to create strong vibrations called shock waves that break the stones into tiny pieces that are then passed in your urine. To remove a stone in your ureter or kidney, your doctor may pass a thin instrument (ureteroscope) equipped with a camera through your urethra and bladder to your ureter. Your doctor maneuvers the ureteroscope to the stone. Once the stone is located, special tools can snare the stone or break it into pieces that will pass in your urine. A procedure called percutaneous nephrolithotomy involves surgically removing large kidney stones through a small incision in your back.